I help teams learn why their products are hard to use and what to fix first, drawing on more than a decade of UX research and design.
I run usability testing, user interviews, heuristic evaluations, accessibility reviews, and analytics and survey analysis, then turn the findings into prioritized recommendations, flows, and prototypes. My work spans automotive, government and public services, enterprise software, educational publishing, and healthcare, including digital health.
12+ yearsUX experience
5+industries
M.S.I.
Master of Science in Information, Specialization in Human-Computer Interaction.
HCI · University of Michigan
M.S.Community Health Education
Fortune 500UX work for Ford Motor Company and UnitedHealth Group
CHES · CAHIMSHealth education and health informatics certifications
2 patentsIssued U.S. patents from human factors work at Ford
Experience highlights
In 12+ years, I’ve researched and designed for very different users and settings, from drivers and health plan members to clinicians and public-sector staff. A few highlights:
Ford: led usability testing that shaped connected-vehicle and infotainment design, including a 30-participant F-150 study, and co-invented 2 issued U.S. patents. Also authored 3 technical papers on emerging Ford technologies, published in Ford Research & Advanced Engineering’s internal research database.
Verint: written into a client’s renewed contract as its dedicated UX analyst. Also conducted 3 years of usability analyses, heuristic evaluations, and accessibility reviews for government, retail, banking, and healthcare clients.
Tyler Technologies: designed the navigation for public safety software, built from personas and card sorting.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan: designed interactive prototypes that let stakeholders validate the member path into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace before launch.
UnitedHealth Group: built high-fidelity Axure prototypes used in formal usability testing, then turned test feedback into rapid design iterations.
Cengage Learning (educational publisher): led 10 contextual inquiry and usability sessions on a literary database, and designed interaction flows for a Smithsonian collaboration.
From 2022 to 2026, I stepped away from industry work to study full time. I earned an M.S. in Community Health Education at Wayne State (4.0, Summa Cum Laude), became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and a Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS), volunteered in Michigan Medicine’s Medical Procedures Unit, and built the case studies in this portfolio. My graduate coursework at Wayne State and Purdue trained me in measurement and evaluation, survey design, biostatistics, behavior change theory, and plain-language communication. Those skills carry into UX research and design for any product: measuring whether a design works, understanding why people act as they do, and explaining complex information clearly.
“On several recent projects for federal government websites, Jessie welcomed the idea of helping the real-world citizens who use these sites… When Jessie presented her work… she elicited client comments like ‘bravo on all counts,’ ‘[this was] really, really helpful’ and ‘[these recommendations are] going to be integrated.’”
— Michelle Miller, Client Success Manager at Gartner
“Jessie handled UX projects with expertise, uncovering site issues and offering best practices and suggested fixes. Her usability advice enhanced my data findings with actionable next steps.”
— Ellen Sabor, Retired (former colleague)
“Jessie has the ability to see the creative, human-centered aspects of a project, then use her engineering knowledge to cascade the technical requirements to developer teams. She evaluates and makes user interface designs maximally efficient, interactive, and aesthetically pleasing.”
— Doug Oliver, Senior Researcher (Retired), Ford Motor Company
“Jessie is very conscientious with her work, with a strong desire to create the best deliverables she possibly can. She benchmarked other industries with higher levels of innovation so we could leverage their learnings.”
— Ken Mayer, Human Factors & User Experience Expert, Ford Motor Company
“Jessie brought a unique perspective as a UX-trained person. Her enthusiasm and passion for the job, coupled with her background in user experience, was a valuable part of the project.”
— John Huber, NVH Technical Specialist
“Jessie gave valuable feedback that improved the user experience of the software. She is smart, creative, detail-oriented, and a wonderful person to work with.”
— Anjana Dogra, Project / Test Coordinator
“Jessie has a positive attitude, strong work ethic, is dependable, considerate, and creative at aligning customer needs with a top-notch user experience. Her knowledge and attention to detail with respect to usability and interface design is solid.”
— Scott Beloskur, Senior Software Project Manager, Ford Motor Company
“She’s a stickler for contextual detail and takes the initiative to gather these details. By her nature and training in HCI, she is loath to jump into solutions without first doing as much exploration of the problem space as time and budget allow.”
— Dan Klyn, Information Architect & Lecturer, University of Michigan School of Information
I conduct mixed-methods research — including user interviews, usability testing, heuristic evaluations, persona development, journey mapping, and benchmarking — to uncover the needs, pain points, and workflows of the people who use complex products, from patients and clinicians to drivers, health plan members, and public-sector staff.
Human-Centered Design
I translate research insights into intuitive, accessible interfaces and workflows that hold up in real conditions of use, grounded in human factors, cognitive load, information architecture, and inclusive design.
Accessibility & Plain Language
I review interfaces against WCAG and apply the health literacy and plain-language training from my community health education, so products work for people with different abilities, reading levels, and levels of digital comfort.
How I work
My approach
Four principles that guide how I research, design, and evaluate digital products.
Evidence-based
I ground design decisions in published research, primary interviews, and usability evidence—so recommendations are traceable, defensible, and tied to real-world constraints rather than preference alone.
Users, staff & context
I design for the people using a product and the people who support it, balancing end-user needs, staff workflows, and business and regulatory constraints.
AI transparency
When AI enters the workflow, I make provenance, confidence, and human review visible. Trust is designed in through verification gates—not assumed after the model generates an answer.
Equity & access
I treat literacy, ability, access, culture, and social context as design requirements. Interfaces and content should work for diverse communities, not only for the most digitally fluent users.